Rockland employees agree to contract deal with city

ROCKLAND, Maine — The city has reached a three-year agreement with its largest labor union.

The Teamsters Union employees ratified the contract and the Rockland City Council is scheduled to vote on the package at its Monday night meeting, according to City Manager James Smith.

The contract calls for workers to receive a 2.75 percent pay raise, retroactive to July 1. The workers will receive 3 percent raises in both of the next two years.

The employees also agreed to pay a larger share of their health insurance costs. The city currently pays 85 percent of the insurance premiums for employees and their families. By the third year of the contract, the city’s share will drop to 80 percent with employees paying 20 percent of the premiums.

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The Teamsters represents police officers, public works employees and clerical workers throughout the city.

The increase is greater than the 2.5 percent awarded earlier this year to non-union workers such as department heads. The increase is also more than the 2.5 percent granted to firefighters earlier this year, although they will receive 3 percent raises in the following two years. The raises for emergency medical technicians will be greater.

The city council also is scheduled to vote Monday night on pay increases for the city manager, city clerk and city attorney. Those three employees are under the direct supervision of the council.

Mayor Brian Harden said Friday that each employee is proposed to receive a 2.5 percent pay raise.